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18/03/23

The US Army said Wednesday that it will not investigate former Gen. Michael Flynn for statements he recently made in which he appeared to endorse a Myanmar-style coup occurring in the US.

US Army will not investigate Flynn’s comments about a coup after he appeared to endorse one

By Barbara Starr, Ellie Kaufman, Michael Conte and Devan Cole, CNN
Updated 3:26 PM EDT, Wed June 2, 2021

The US Army said Wednesday that it will not investigate former Gen. Michael Flynn for statements he recently made in which he appeared to endorse a Myanmar-style coup occurring in the US.

“We are aware of the statements LTG (R) Flynn made May 30 and June 1. The Army is not investigating these statements further at this time,” an Army spokesperson said in a statement.

Given the fact that Flynn is retired, the Army’s decision is in line with the US military’s typical approach to similar situations, when potential misconduct carried out by retired members who are out of uniform does not prompt an investigation by the armed services.

Flynn is facing bipartisan criticism after appearing to endorse a Myanmar-style coup in the US during an event in Dallas on Sunday in which an audience member raised the idea.

“I want to know why what happened in Minamar (sic)can’t happen here?” the audience member, who identified himself as a Marine, asked Flynn.

“No reason, I mean, it should happen here. No reason. That’s right,” Flynn responded.

A message posted to a Parler account used by Flynn on Monday, however, claimed Flynn’s words had been twisted.

Former US National Security Advisor Michael Flynn speaks to supporters of US President Donald Trump during the Million MAGA March to protest the outcome of the 2020 presidential election in front of the US Supreme Court on December 12, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Olivier DOULIERY / AFP) (Photo by OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images)

Flynn says he didn't endorse Myanmar-style coup after he appears to back plan in video exchange

“Let me be VERY CLEAR - There is NO reason whatsoever for any coup in America, and I do not and have not at any time called for any action of that sort,” the message said.

Some QAnon followers are obsessed with the idea that the US military will somehow put former President Donald Trump back into office. Some believed and hoped Trump would declare martial law on Inauguration Day to stop Joe Biden from entering the White House.

Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Tuesday that “the department is not going to have an official comment one way on this.”

Flynn’s comments have prompted criticism from some lawmakers, including Rep. Elaine Luria, a Virginia Democrat serving as vice-chair of the House Armed Services Committee, who said on Monday that Flynn’s comments were “dangerous” and “incredibly concerning,” adding that she thinks official action against him should be considered.

“Flynn’s remarks border on sedition. There’s certainly conduct unbecoming an officer. Those are both things that can be tried under the Uniform Code of Military Justice and I think that as a retiree of the military, it should certainly be a path that we consider to have consequences for these types of words,” Luria, a retired Navy commander, told CNN’s Anderson Cooper on “AC360.”

GOP Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, whom House Republicans recently voted to remove from her leadership position after she publicly and repeatedly rejected Trump’s election claims, tweeted on Monday afternoon: “No American should advocate or support the violent overthrow of the United States.” A link to an article with the news of Flynn’s Sunday remarks accompanied the tweet.

Flynn, who is seen as a hero in the QAnon movement, pleaded guilty in 2017 to lying to the FBI over his conversations with Russia’s ambassador and for a time cooperated with special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. But as his case swerved toward a possible brief prison sentence, Flynn fired his lawyers, replacing them with a defense team that worked to unravel his plea in court, and publicly campaigned for a pardon, which he ultimately received from Trump in November.

CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan contributed to this report.

Opinion 3 retired generals: The military must prepare now for a 2024 insurrection

Opinion 3 retired generals: The military must prepare now for a 2024 insurrection

Clouds of tear gas are seen as supporters of President Donald Trump storm the Capitol on Jan. 6. (Evelyn Hockstein for The Washington Post)

Paul D. Eaton is a retired U.S. Army major general and a senior adviser to VoteVets. Antonio M. Taguba is a retired Army major general, with 34 years of active duty service. Steven M. Anderson is a retired brigadier general who served in the U.S. Army for 31 years.

As we approach the first anniversary of the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, we — all of us former senior military officials — are increasingly concerned about the aftermath of the 2024 presidential election and the potential for lethal chaos inside our military, which would put all Americans at severe risk.

In short: We are chilled to our bones at the thought of a coup succeeding next time.

One of our military’s strengths is that it draws from our diverse population. It is a collection of individuals, all with different beliefs and backgrounds. But without constant maintenance, the potential for a military breakdown mirroring societal or political breakdown is very real.

Paul D. Eaton discusses this piece in more detail on James Hohmann’s podcast, “Please, Go On.” Listen now.

The signs of potential turmoil in our armed forces are there. On Jan. 6, a disturbing number of veterans and active-duty members of the military took part in the attack on the Capitol. More than 1 in 10 of those charged in the attacks had a service record. A group of 124 retired military officials, under the name “Flag Officers 4 America,” released a letter echoing Donald Trump’s false attacks on the legitimacy of our elections.

Recently, and perhaps more worrying, Brig. Gen. Thomas Mancino, the commanding general of the Oklahoma National Guard, refused an order from President Biden mandating that all National Guard members be vaccinated against the coronavirus. Mancino claimed that while the Oklahoma Guard is not federally mobilized, his commander in chief is the Republican governor of the state, not the president.

The potential for a total breakdown of the chain of command along partisan lines — from the top of the chain to squad level — is significant should another insurrection occur. The idea of rogue units organizing among themselves to support the “rightful” commander in chief cannot be dismissed.

How the Capitol attack unfolded, from inside Trump's rally to the riot | Opinion
6:03
On the morning of Jan. 6, there were signs of the violence to come even before thousands of former president Donald Trump loyalists besieged the U.S. Capitol. (Video: Joy Yi, Kate Woodsome/The Washington Post, Photo: John Minchillo/AP/The Washington Post)

Imagine competing commanders in chief — a newly reelected Biden giving orders, versus Trump (or another Trumpian figure) issuing orders as the head of a shadow government. Worse, imagine politicians at the state and federal levels illegally installing a losing candidate as president.

All service members take an oath to protect the U.S. Constitution. But in a contested election, with loyalties split, some might follow orders from the rightful commander in chief, while others might follow the Trumpian loser. Arms might not be secured depending on who was overseeing them. Under such a scenario, it is not outlandish to say a military breakdown could lead to civil war.

In this context, with our military hobbled and divided, U.S. security would be crippled. Any one of our enemies could take advantage by launching an all-out assault on our assets or our allies.

The lack of military preparedness for the aftermath of the 2020 election was striking and worrying. Trump’s acting defense secretary, Christopher C. Miller, testified that he deliberately withheld military protection of the Capitol before Jan. 6. Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, reportedly scrambled to ensure the nation’s nuclear defense chains were secure from illegal orders. It is evident the whole of our military was caught off-guard.

With the country still as divided as ever, we must take steps to prepare for the worst.

First, everything must be done to prevent another insurrection. Not a single leader who inspired it has been held to account. Our elected officials and those who enforce the law — including the Justice Department, the House select committee and the whole of Congress — must show more urgency.

But the military cannot wait for elected officials to act. The Pentagon should immediately order a civics review for all members — uniformed and civilian — on the Constitution and electoral integrity. There must also be a review of the laws of war and how to identify and deal with illegal orders. And it must reinforce “unity of command” to make perfectly clear to every member of the Defense Department whom they answer to. No service member should say they didn’t understand whom to take orders from during a worst-case scenario.

In addition, all military branches must undertake more intensive intelligence work at all installations. The goal should be to identify, isolate and remove potential mutineers; guard against efforts by propagandists who use misinformation to subvert the chain of command; and understand how that and other misinformation spreads across the ranks after it is introduced by propagandists.

Finally, the Defense Department should war-game the next potential post-election insurrection or coup attempt to identify weak spots. It must then conduct a top-down debrief of its findings and begin putting in place safeguards to prevent breakdowns not just in the military, but also in any agency that works hand in hand with the military.

The military and lawmakers have been gifted hindsight to prevent another insurrection from happening in 2024 — but they will succeed only if they take decisive action now.

Paul D. Eaton discusses this piece in more detail on James Hohmann’s podcast, “Please, Go On.” Listen now.

L'esercito USA non e' piu' sotto controllo, in particolare non sotto il controllo dei civili. E non e' piu' UN esercito, ma almeno due. Quello incostituzionale ha tentato di fare fuori quello costituzionale con le 'vaccinazioni': la lotta interna non e' finita, continua - e l'Italia ci sta nel mezzo. CHI O CHE COSA E' AL COMANDO DELLA PARTE INCOSTITUZIONALE DELL'ESERCITO USA?

Generals Warn Of Divided Military And Possible Civil War In Next U.S. Coup Attempt
"Some might follow orders from the rightful commander in chief, while others might follow the Trumpian loser," which could trigger civil war, the generals wrote.

Three retired U.S. generals warned in a chilling column Friday that another coup attempt in America in 2024 could divide the military and plunge an unprepared nation into civil war.

“With the country still as divided as ever, we must take steps to prepare for the worst,” wrote former Army Major Gen. Paul Eaton, former Brigadier Gen. Steven Anderson and former Army Major Gen. Antonio Taguba.

As the nation nears the first anniversary of the Capitol riot, the generals are “increasingly concerned about the aftermath of the 2024 presidential election and the potential for lethal chaos inside our military, which would put all Americans at severe risk,” they wrote in The Washington Post.

“In short: We are chilled to our bones at the thought of a coup succeeding next time,” they added.

The next time could be far more cataclysmic if members of the military throw in with those who want to overthrow the government, the generals warned.

“Without constant maintenance, the potential for a military breakdown mirroring societal or political breakdown is very real,” the trio noted.

A “disturbing number” of veterans and even active-duty military members took part in the attack on the Capitol. The “potential for a total breakdown of the chain of command along partisan lines ... is significant should another insurrection occur,” they added.

In a “contested election, with loyalties split,” some might “follow orders from the rightful commander in chief,” while other “rogue units” might “follow the Trumpian loser ... it is not outlandish to say a military breakdown could lead to civil war,” the generals warned.

The “lack of military preparedness for the aftermath of the 2020 election was striking and worrying. Trump’s acting defense secretary, Christopher Miller, testified that he deliberately withheld military protection of the Capitol before Jan. 6,” the generals noted.

That can’t happen again, they emphasized.

Military leaders can’t wait for elected officials to take adequate action to prepare for the next time. “Not a single leader who inspired” the last attempt has even been “held to account,” the generals noted.

The Pentagon must act now to reenforce “unity of command,” and order an immediate “civics review” for all members — uniformed and civilian — on the Constitution and electoral integrity, the generals urged.

And in a particularly dark scenario, the generals recommended that the Defense Department “war-game the next potential post-election insurrection or coup attempt to identify weak spots.”

Everyone, they urged, must “show more urgency.”

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/2024-election-coup-military-participants_n_61bd52f2e4b0bcd2193f3d72

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